A little bit more than patriotism. A little bit lower than jingoism. ---
Nirendra Dev

Friday, March 17, 2017

Uttar Pradesh elections show a swing to 'Hindu nationalism' : Is that a national trend?

The pivotal Uttar Pradesh elections show a swing towards 'Hindu
nationalism' and a vastly weakened opposition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi overcame difficulties and major hurdles. His decision
to demonetize high-value currency notes in November 2016 pushed millions of
poor into hardship but it was presented as fight against the black money of the
rich and ultimately helped the BJP win support of these voters.

On March 11, when the result came in for
elections in five Indian states, especially the most populous Uttar Pradesh, it
marked a leap forward for Hindu nationalists.

The success of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) rested safely on the shoulders of its leader and Narendra Modi as he packaged and presented his winning image of a
Hindu zealot who struggles hard for India’s development.

The February polls in five states including Manipur and Goa, which
have sizeable Christian populations, Modi played the role of "dream
merchant" promising jobs, good roads and improvement in law and order in a
country that has long suffered bad governance.

In Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP has been
in power only once in the last two decades, Modi addressed over 50 rallies
ostensibly exposing misgovernment and caste-based politics. At each place, he
also reminded his audience that he is still looking out for Hindu interests.

BLOGGER

"If land is given for a [Muslim]
cemetery in a village, it should also be given for [Hindu] cremation. If
electricity is supplied during Ramadan, it should also be supplied during
Diwali. There should not be discrimination," Modi had said at a rally
trying to take a shot at the rival Samajwadi Party that have been accused
of appeasing Muslims.

Furthermore - luck would have it too.
As they say, in politics fortune often favours the one who makes first move
bravely.

The rivals Congress and Samajwadi
Party (the socialist party with good support base among a caste group Yadavs and
Muslims) tried to reach out to the religious minority, Modi’s half the task
became easier. Hence as he achieved ‘reverse polarisation’ among Hindus -- the
result was near decimation of all rivals and BJP ended up picking 312 seats in
403-member assembly.

The 'reverse polarisation' of majority
Hindus and BJP's calculated strategy not to field Muslims - as was the 'real
Gujarat model' of electoral strategy - have largely led to massive victory for
the saffron party and also resulted in significant drop in the
number of Muslim legislators in the country's largest state. The number of
Muslim legislators in the newly-elected UP Assembly has come down to 25 - an
all time low in the recent past. Even at the height of Ram Mandir movement
there were at least 28 Muslim legislators in the state Assembly in 1993.

The BJP strategically did not field Muslim candidates and the
number of Muslim legislators in the newly-elected house has dropped down to 25.

Hence it is
not without good reason, a prominent Hindu hardliner told
this writer: “We achieved one milestone of our Hindutva agenda as number of
Muslims in UP assembly has come down to 25. In 1990s, we had reduced Muslim
voters and leaders as non-entity in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh,
and now we have got this in UP. We thank people of Uttar Pradesh for that”.

Modi and Moditva: Varanasi Roads

This –
reduced number of Muslim legislators - is a tall order to achieve as the
northern state (Uttar Pradesh) otherwise accounts for about 19 per cent of
Muslim population – and who are also known for their political affirmative
approach.

In fact
in 2012 assembly polls, the Muslim MLAs strength was 68 in 2012 and was 56 in
2007. Hence the
BJP has achieved a key Hindutva agenda – exclusion of Muslims.

The result and BJP strategy makes many observers wonder if the
Hindu nationalist party is pushing religious minorities into political
irrelevance in its march toward a 'Hindu-only nation'.

The BJP has achieved a key goal: the
exclusion of Muslims from politics without needing to be explicit about it -- without talking much about it in real sense.

This development was helped by the
political failure of rival parties, chiefly the Congress party, led by an
Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, widow of a former Indian Prime Minister, and
their son Rahul Gandhi.

Young Muslims

While she has been unwell for quite some
time, Rahul Gandhi as the Congress Vice President has been unable to match the
electoral aggressiveness of Modi.

Wresting the prowess to
govern India’s most populous state with reduced number of Muslim legislators is
only one part of the story. To many, the mandate this year shows that not only
Sangh Parivar’s will has prevailed, it is also a sign that the RSS leadership is
now resting much hopes on the former Gujarat chief minister, who pioneered his
version of Hindutva movement in 2002.

Life has truly come a
full circle for the former RSS ‘pracharak’, Modi. It is also a testimony to the fact that the RSS
headquarter has reason to celebrate that PM Modi will live up to their
expectations to exploit his ‘nationwide’ good will to revive the Hindutva
movement – at least the three main contentious agenda – Uniform Civil code,
Ayodhya Ram temple and abrogation of a special article in Jammu and Kashmir.

Muslim leaders also have their views that suggests Modi’s polarization
also has to do with the folly of the other side.
"In these elections, Congress and other secular parties - SP and BSP lost
not only electorally, but also morally," he says.
"Humey toh kucch nahi mila (We did not get anything)," lamented one
shopkeeper in Noida – commenting on the performance of secular parties just few days before the vote count actually took place.

This development was helped
by the political failure of rival parties, chiefly the Congress party, led by
an Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, widow of a former Indian Prime Minister, and
their son Rahul Gandhi.

While
she has been unwell for quite some time, Rahul Gandhi as the Congress Vice
President has been unable to match the electoral aggressiveness of Modi.

Congress,
in the past, has ruled intermittently in coalitions, espousing secularism and
equal rights for all religions but were unable to keep voter confidence.

"The
secular brigade did not do much for the minorities. Their bluff was always
going to be exposed one day," said BJP leader Sudanshu Trivedi.

Quereshi feels let down by SECULAR FORCES

Agra-based
Jamaluddin Quereshi, a Muslim, said: "Indiscriminate attacks on Prime
Minister Modi, unreasonable actions in the name of Muslim welfare and an
inability to contain corruption have discredited the secular parties."

To
many, the mandate this year also shows that not only Hindu hardliners have
prevailed, it is also a sign that Hindu nationalists are continuing to rest
their hopes on Modi to deliver Hindu hegemony.

About Me

Author of 'Rainbows and Misty Sky: Windows to North East India';
'HEART ALONE' (A collection of short stories), 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth' and other books, 'Ayodhya: Battle for Peace' (2011) ‘Godhra – A Journey To Mayhem’ (2004) and ‘The Talking Guns: North East India’ (2008).